Print wheel control system

ABSTRACT

Print wheel control system for resetting and setting a plurality of print wheels, said control system having means for generating timing pulses in accordance with the rotation of the print wheels, a pulse signal distributor for generating control signals associated with successive characters on each of the print wheels, and a selector network and controls responsive to the control signals for arresting the movement of each of the print wheels, depending upon the character of each of the print wheels to be selected.

ilnited States Patent Arciprete et a1. July 3, 1973 PRINT WHEEL CONTROL SYSTEM 3,442,364 5/1969 Ragen 101 93 c x 3,528,368 9 1970 Oberholzer et a1. 101 93 0 [75] Invenmrs- 3,399,297 8/1968 Miller 101/93 c x Adria" Bmkow, wotfum; Richard 3,307,676 3/1967 Hickerson.. 101 93 c x L- Duma s, sh a Rlchard F 3,473,466 10/1969 Thayer 101 93 (3 Stucchi, Hudson, all of Mass. 3,l79,044 4/1965 Schierbeck 101/93 C q 3,120,801 2/1964 Davies et a1. 101 /93 c [731 Assgnw i Manuiacurmg (hmpany, 3,196,782 7/1965 Blanchin et a1. 101/93 c Frammgham, Mass.

22 i Dec 14 1970 Primary Examiner-Robert E. Pulfrey Assistant Examiner-E. M. Coven [2]] Appl' NO: 97562 Att0rney-Dike, Thompson & Bronstein Related U.S. Application Data [60] Division of Ser. No 786,813, Dec. 9, 1968, Pat No. [57] ABSTRACT 3,662,362, which is a continuation of Ser. No, 681,765, Nov. 9, 1967, abandoned.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 4/1965 Benson et a1. 101/93 C Print wheel control system for resetting and setting a plurality of print wheels, said control system having means for generating timing pulses in accordance with the rotation of the print wheels, 21 pulse signal distributor for generating control signals associated with successive characters on each of the print wheels, and a selector network and controls responsive to the control signals for arresting the movement of each of the print wheels, depending upon the character of each of the print wheels to be selected.

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1. In combination, a rotatable print wheel having teeth, some of which have faces which are provided with type characters, a machine bed for supporting a ticket at print point where a type character may be printed thereon, means for rotating the print wheel to permit a selected one of the teeth to be presented opposite said print point, selection means for selecting one of the teeth to be presented at said print point, said selection means comprising a switch having a plurality of contacts and a wiper arm manually positionable on any one of said contacts to select the tooth face to be presented opposite said print point, control means for providing a control signal to each of the plurality of contacts of said selection means, said control means comprises a plurality of flip flops coupled together in a cascaded chain, each of the flip flops having an output thereof coupled to a different contact of said switch, solenoid means coupled to the wiper arm and having arresting means to arrest rotation of the print wheel, means for generating timing signals, means for simultaneously applying said timing signals to each of said flip flops to cause said flip flops to sequentially generate said control signals which are applied to different ones of said contacts, whereby the control signal appearing at the contact upon which the wiper arm is positioned causes the solenoid means to cause said arresting means to arrest the rotation of the print wheel.
 2. A combination according to claim 1 in which the means for generating timing signals comprises a commutator having a plurality of apertures corresponding to the various positions adopted by the print wheel and wherein the commutator rotates as the means for rotating the print wheel rotates the print wheel.
 3. In combination, a rotatable print wheel having teeth, some of which have faces which are provided with type characters, a machine bed for supporting a ticket at a print point at which a type character may be printed thereon, means for rotating the print wheel, means for arrEsting the rotation of the print wheel to permit a selected one of the teeth to be presented opposite said print point, selection means for selecting the tooth to be presented opposite said print point, said selection means comprising a first plurality of flip flops corresponding in number to the number of teeth on the print wheel, a distributor having a plurality of output lines, each different one coupled to each different one of said first plurality of flip flops, means for setting one of said first plurality of flip flops, and timing means for generating timing signals, said timing means for generating timing signals coupled to said distributor and causing said distributor to sequentially provide signals on each of its output lines to reset the one flip flop of said first plurality of flip flops which had been set to cause said means for arresting the rotation of the print wheel to arrest the rotation of the print wheel.
 4. A combination according to claim 3 in which the distributor comprises a second plurality of flip flops coupled in a cascaded chain, each of said flip flops having an output line which is coupled to a different one of said first plurality of flip flops, and wherein the timing signals are simultaneously applied to all of said second plurality of flip flops. 